Why Does Vietnam Need an Integrated Growth Model? (A Summary of the Integrated Growth Model – IGM)

In previous studies, the author approaches Vietnam’s growth challenge through a central and persistent question: why have many well-designed reforms failed to generate commensurate changes in practice? By analyzing total factor productivity, domestic value added, and market access, the author finds that these bottlenecks do not exist in isolation, but are instead rooted in fragmented modes of development organization and coordination. From this diagnosis, the Integrated Economic Growth Model (IGM) is formulated as an analytical framework that connects institutions, infrastructure, and data within a unified operational system. A review of the broader research agenda suggests that integrated growth is not intended to serve as an immediate substitute for existing approaches, but rather as a subsequent stage of development aimed at strengthening the economy’s transformational capacity. Toward 2030, the model focuses on addressing constraints related to productivity, localization, and market access; looking further to 2045, it lays the foundation for an economy grounded in endogenous capabilities, adaptability, and strategic autonomy—core conditions of a developed nation.